Shamanism and Traditional Belief (NORTH ATLANTIC STUDIES)

This volume of North Atlantic Studies is a theme issue of conference presentations on particular religious beliefs and practices in the North Atlantic area and in the American and Eurasian north. The central theme is the relationship between human society and other realms or worlds. The papers deal with interaction through ritual, shamanic practices, dreams, imagery etc. with the worlds of spirits, game animals, the dead, and others removed in time or space from the human actors.There are extensive cross cultural resemblances between such beliefs and practices within the northern regions. Historically such issues have been addressed in terms of climate, historical connection, evolution, structural or functional necessity, psychological mechanisms etc. and research in this field has taken place in different disciplinary frameworks with limited mutual contact.In the tradition of North Atlantic Studies scholars from different disciplines and research communities are brought together in the presentation of common themes in and around the North Atlantic areas. In this volume the contributors are anthropologists, archaeologists, a student of folklore, a biologist and, presenting a different viewpoint, a shamanic therapist.Torben Vestergaard is the author of 'Shamanism and Traditional Belief (NORTH ATLANTIC STUDIES)', published 2001 under ISBN 9788798342472 and ISBN 8798342479.